Portuguese · B2 (Upper Intermediate)
Workplace in Portuguese: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Portuguese words for workplace are o Tribunal do Trabalho (the Labour Court), a convenção coletiva de trabalho (CCT) (the collective bargaining agreement) and o lay-off (the temporary layoff (state-subsidised)). The full Portuguese workplace phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Portuguese vocabulary for workplace, with example sentences and English translations. This is B2 (Upper Intermediate) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Portuguese to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key workplace vocabulary
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| o Tribunal do Trabalho | the Labour Court |
| a convenção coletiva de trabalho (CCT) | the collective bargaining agreement |
| o lay-off | the temporary layoff (state-subsidised) |
| o subsídio de desemprego | unemployment benefit |
| a pensão de reforma | the retirement pension |
| o assédio moral | workplace harassment / mobbing |
| o despedimento | dismissal |
| a licença parental | parental leave |
| a indemnização por despedimento | severance pay |
| o Código do Trabalho | the Labour Code (key employment law) |
Example sentences
Apresentei uma queixa no Tribunal do Trabalho.
I filed a complaint at the Labour Court.
O meu salário é regulado pela CCT do setor.
My salary is regulated by the sector's collective agreement.
Recebi uma carta de despedimento.
I received a dismissal letter.
Tenho direito a indemnização por despedimento.
I am entitled to severance pay.
Estou de licença parental por seis meses.
I am on parental leave for six months.
Requeri o subsídio de desemprego após o despedimento.
I applied for unemployment benefit after the dismissal.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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